Freya Mikaelson is Tired™ (frelsi) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-08-03 17:13:00 |
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The problem with being the oldest sibling was the fact that it meant you were expected to know all the answers. The problem with being seen as a perfect child was the fact that you had to constantly live up to that ideal and could never show a crack in that armor. For Freya, it was part of who she was. Honestly, she should have expected everything that was happening, should have known she'd find herself in a position where she didn't know what to do or how to fix things.
Her mother remained overdramatic. Her father... well, he was refusing to talk about it all. Elijah just wanted to ignore it and go on with his life (which was the healthy route), then there was Kol who overreacted and things had escalated and this was the mess Freya was now in. So of course any attempts she had made at talking to her parents had failed because they were so caught up in themselves, in the perfect appearances for the sake of Mikael's congressional career. God, it gave her a headache. Freya loved her family, even if she'd been away for so long, had done her best to be there.... Well now she was here and she was seeing that apparently it wasn't just the distance that made it so she couldn't help as much as she wished she could.
Which was why she found herself at a bar. She needed a chance to let loose. To not think so much for once. It had been easier when she wasn't around, but she was now. Didn't mean she had to be perfectly together when she was alone. And nothing solved family problems (well, avoiding family problems) like tequila.
Here he was, home again. Admittedly Orange County didn't exactly feel like home. He may have grown up here, but he was never welcome. But after everything that happened in New Orleans he needed to regroup. Plus as much as he hated to admit it he did miss his siblings. That didn't mean he was ready to see them right away. Niklaus was a proud man, admitting his failure was not going to be an easy feat. Before he saw his siblings he needed a drink.
Which was precisely why was walking into a bar. Only once he walked in he spotted a very familiar face. A face that was supposed to be in Kiev. So much for avoiding his siblings for a night. Of course he could just turn around before his sister spotted him, but what was the point? He was here to see them after all, he might as well just get it over with. Besides, Freya was a hell of a good way to start.
Niklaus made his way over to the stool beside his oldest sister. “Well, it looks like someone forgot to tell their favorite brother they were going to be back in the states.”
Freya probably should have expected a random run in with one of her siblings though Niklaus? Well, last she had heard he was still in New Orleans, so when she heard his voice, she turned her head with a shocked smile.
“Klaus.” As for his comment? She simply shrugged, “Well I’d been planning to figure out a time to visit you in New Orleans but here you are instead.”
After all, even if she had come back because of family drama and her apparently being needed by her parents (who had clearly misjudged where she’d stand on everything) to fix it as that was what was expected of her, Freya would have definitely made the time to go to New Orleans as it was much easier to get there from Orange County than Europe.
Fair enough. Well depending how long she had been back for. “Apparently I saved you a trip,” Klaus commented with a smirk before turning his attention to the bartender, ordering himself a bourbon neat. Once that was taken care of his attention returned to his sister.
“How long have you been in town for?” This was vital information after all. He needed to know how long his sister planned on keeping her visit from him. Although it was Klaus’s choice to leave his family behind he was still constantly paranoid about being the outcast.
“Apparently so.” Even if getting to New Orleans would have been nice. Far less drama. Okay, well Klaus had a tendency to have his own drama but it was easier to manage when it was only one thing as opposed to trying to juggle all the dynamics that were currently at play.
“A day.” Not really enough time to handle the jetlag and time difference, but enough time try to talk sense into her parents and already needing a drink at a bar as opposed to raiding Elijah’s alcohol. “How about you?”
A day? And no one bothered to tell him. Klaus couldn't help but be offended. It didn't matter that he had done the exact same thing, returned without telling anyone. Freya was different, she had to of planned out her trip. Luckily, the bartender brought over his drink and Klaus immediately took a long swallow. After that comment he needed it to keep him from losing his temper.
“Today,” was all Klaus said although there was a notable difference in his tone. “What brings you back?”
Freya noticed the tone shift but said nothing. She had patience, not infinite amounts of it, but it existed. Probably far more than most people would have given her family but it came with the territory. Not only just of being siblings in general, but also being the oldest one. So she nodded before answering the next question.
“A month worth of phone calls about how the family is apparently in crisis but no context and the end of my contract with nothing else lined up.” Shaking her head in frustration, Freya took a drink of her tequila. Because it was always something with their family. A week of calls was one thing, but when it had gone longer than that, Freya had gotten worried. And now she was just frustrated.
“So it seems you’ve managed to come back just in time for more family drama.” Which really wasn’t anything new.
Yet another thing he wasn’t in the loop on. Although if the drama had anything to do with their parents he preferred it that way. As far as he was concerned both Esther and Mikael were dead to him. But now that Freya brought it up he couldn’t helped but be intrigued. “What’d Mikael do now?” Knowing their parents it was more likely their father.
Mikael had certainly been the more blatant of the two from what Elijah had told her, but it was both parents who then refused to acknowledge that it was their behavior that had led to all the discord and anger and overall fall out. Because of course they refused to see it. It was everyone else who was at fault. Just because she’d always been close to Mikael growing up didn’t mean she would absolve him of anything.
“He and mother once again caring more about appearances than their children’s happiness. He was just more obvious about it while mother was doing her typical showing her disgust through pointed language from what I’ve been told. And now she remains hysterical because of the fallout and he refuses to talk about it, let alone listen, and so here I am.”
Both in Orange County and more pointedly in a bar after a failed attempt at talking to them.
None of this information surprised Klaus. Esther and Mikael were both pieces of shit who only cared about themselves. Klaus learned that a long time ago. For some reason the rest of his siblings still held out hope. But then Klaus always got the worst of it anyway. “Nothing new,” Klaus commented with another sip of his drink.
But that was enough about them. Klaus didn’t give a shit about his parents. He’d prefer not to discuss them anymore. “Now tell me about Kiev.”
Freya was more than happy to get off the topic of their parents. It was why she had come to the bar in the first place, to avoid thinking about the idiocy of it all for the time being. Something that she couldn’t quite do at Elijah’s. So instead she finished her drink, motioned to the bartender to get another and turned her attention to Klaus.
“It was good. The area was gorgeous when I was able to get out and explore. I mean sure, there were the few times where we lost power because of electric grids being hacked and all,” Good times, especially when she lost a Skype call with family members from it. Poor Elijah had seemed rather concerned when she had managed to call him back after one such instance.
“Picked up more recipes to try to cook.” It was something she tended to do. Wherever she ended up working, she would find recipes to learn so that when she was able to visit family she could cook them something from where she currently was. “I think you would have appreciated the architecture and art.”
There was something about Eastern Europe and Europe in general with its history and the art there.
Freya knew him well. He would have enjoyed seeing the architecture and art, the culture in general really. Once the sting of learning he wasn’t truly a Mikaelson wore off and he had reached out to his siblings again the thought of visiting Freya had crossed his mind. She was nowhere near their parents, and it would have been fascinating to experience the culture. But Klaus had been busy creating his own life, making a name for himself, proving he didn’t need his parents. There was a tiny regret that he hadn’t made more of an effort. But there was still time, Freya would probably be returning to Europe soon enough.
“I’ll just have to live vicariously through your photos and cooking for now I suppose,” Klaus commented finishing off his own drink and signaling for another. “When do I get to try out these new recipes?”
“I did get you a book on art and photography as well.” Freya made it a habit to always pick up something for her siblings when she was in a new location. She tended to get art and photography books for Klaus, which she did have in her suitcase at Elijah’s. It just seemed she would get to give it to him sooner than she had anticipated. Nothing wrong with that.
Even with the reason why she was back, Freya figured she’d be gone in a month once she got a new contract.
“As for when? Let me know what works for you. I can do something here or in New Orleans if you’re only around for a quick trip.” She was flexible on that front. After all, she didn’t know about what had happened to bring Klaus back to Orange County and it wasn’t like he tended to stick around the area for longer than he needed to thanks to their parents. It was a lot to juggle, but that was Freya’s default setting so she didn’t put much mind to all the different things she was going to be dealing with before heading back to Europe.
The smile that formed on his face when Freya mentioned the photography book quickly faltered at the mention of New Orleans. Another subject he didn’t want to talk about. His pride would never allow him to tell them what happened, no matter how curious or suspicious they got.
“Here is fine,” he wasn’t about to elaborate. That was all she needed to know. “It will have to be at one of our siblings homes,” he was currently in a motel. Something else he wouldn’t admit, if asked he’d just say he had a room. And there no way in hell he’d eat a meal at their parent’s house.
Freya definitely noticed the falter in his smile and quirked a brow. There was a story there, that much was certain. But she also knew that pushing with Klaus got nowhere, he needed to come to her on his own time just as it had been when they had learned the truth about his father. So for now she was willing to let it slide.
“Well, I’m currently taking Elijah’s guest room so that should be easy enough.” She’d obviously have to ask but it was family. “Though I really should text Kol and Rebekah to let them know I’m back as well.” It had been a whirlwind of getting everything into order to come back and then travel and then trying to see if their parents had mellowed out to ending up at the bar because of course they hadn’t.
Ah, so Elijah was the only one that had known of her return ahead of time? Well that Klaus could accept. As long as he wasn’t the only one left out of things. A small smile returned to his face. “I’m sure our dear brother will be accommodating.” Polite was Elijah’s default setting after all. “I suppose the rest of the siblings can join as well,” he cracked. Of course he wouldn’t mind if it was a whole sibling gathering. He may despise his parents, but he loved his brothers and sisters. They were the reason he returned after all.
Klaus definitely wasn’t the only one left out of things. Elijah had been Freya’s go to since he was the most level headed of those in Orange County so she could get answers from him before going into the lion’s den of their parents. That and given she, Elijah and Finn had all been so close in age meant that they had always been close. That and the rush of everything so even Elijah had only found out on Tuesday when she sent him her itinerary.
“Most likely. It may be more a question of space but we’ll figure it out.” Especially with Kol and Rebekah being invited as well. She caught the joke and smirked some. “So long as they behave. Or well. Kol, but I’m sure his current attitude will pass.” It better at any rate. She wasn’t going to take it forever.
Klaus couldn’t help but grin at that comment. It was nice that he wasn’t the one being singled out for misbehaving for once. Though why his younger brother would have an attitude toward Freya he had no idea. “If I can behave I’m sure he can manage,” another joke. Because yes, Klaus was well aware of his reputation and he could joke about it, sometimes.
There were reasons that she and Elijah often referred to their younger siblings as ‘the children’, even when they were adults. She could only imagine what it would be like with most of them in the same area for an extended amount of time. Though it would be nice to actually have time to breathe and see them without having to rush back to work because she could only get so many days off and two of those days always being dedicated to travel. “He better. Or else he won’t get his gift from Ukraine.”